Operating mechanism for washing-machines.



K. K. SCHULZ. OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17, 19l5' 1,285A18, Patented Nov. 19, 1918.. Y

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K.'K. SCHULZL OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES-1 APPLICATION mw'usc. 11'. 1915.

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KARL K. SCHULZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CYCLE WASHING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. re, rate.

Application filed December 17, 1915. Serial No. 67.316.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, KARL K. SCHULZ,/a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Operating Mechanism for Washing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in laundry apparatus, and more particularly to combination washing machines and wringers, and one of the objects is to provide an improved apparatus of this character which will be simple, durable and reliable in construction, and effective and eflicient in operation.

Another object of my invention is to so associate a washing machine and wringer that a single source of power is capable of driving both or either mechanisms at will, and so that the wringer may be used at various angles or in different positions with respect to the washing machine. 7

Other objects of my invention will appear hereinafter.

My invention consists in the features of novelty exemplified in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, shown in the acompanying drawings, and more particularly.pointed out in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a washing machine and wringer structure embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse detail view on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view partly in section on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fi 6 is an enlarged detail section on the l1ne 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail view, partly in section, of the transmission shaft, universal couplings therein, and the gears associated therewith;

. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail on line 8-8 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 9 is a detail section of an Interlock on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

The washing machine which I have shown in the drawings and which embodies my invention comprises generally a tub A sup ported upon a substantially rectangular platform or table having a number of le sB disposed at the four corners of the plat orm but this may be of any suitable construction for the purpose. The tub is preferably round and has a cover C which is hinged at 1 so that it may be raised into a position to permit access to the interior of the tub, a bumper or stop 2 being provided to limit the openward movement. Extending up alongside of the tub is a casting or other suitable member 4, the lower end of which supports a train of gears through which power is transmitted to the washing machine and wringer' There is a pulley- 5 around which a belt may be extended, this belt being driven by a motor or other suitable source of power (not shown) for driving the mechanisms. This pulley 5 is supported on a shaft 6 in suitable bearings in the lower end of the casting 4. The shaft 6 carries a small pinion 7 which drives a larger gear 8, the larger gear being mounted on the shaft 9 supported in bearings in a lateral extension 1 9 at the lower end of casting 4. The extension 9 has its end attached to the adjacent leg B to render the structure firm and substantial. The gear 8 has connected toit a pitman or connecting rod 10 which extends upward to the top portion of the tub where it connects to one arm 11 on the bell crank lever. is formed as a segment and is provided with teeth on its periphery which mesh with a small gear 12 on the outer end of a hor-izontally disposed shaft 13 whereby as the bell-crank is rocked by the pitman 10 it imparts a rocking or oscillating movement to the shaft 13. This shaft has bearings in a casting or bearing member 14 which is fastened to the cover 0. The small gear 12 with which the segment arm 12 meshes is inclosed in a casing 15 which protects the operator from injury, and this casing also extends over'and incloses the teeth of the segment arm 12, but it is not connected to the segment or to the casting 4 so as not to interfere with the raising and lowering of the cover at will. The act of raising the cover C however separates the gears so as to disconnect the washing machine mechanism from its driving power and the lower- The other arm 12 of the bell crank ing of the cover again places these gears in mesh. On its lnnerend the rock shaft 13 carries a beveled gear 13 which meshes with and drives a simllar gear 13 on the dolly has. formed integrally with it a curved lug 20 which rises above the top of the tub and is positioned adjacent the edge of the cover. This lug is undercut, as at 21, to form a hook, and the surface ortion 22of this memher is curved or beve ed oil so as to form a sort of cam. The castin 14 on the cover carries a horizontally swmging latch lever 23 which is pivoted at 24, and the outer end of this lever is adapted to engage the undercut 21 of lug 20 so as to lock the cover firmly in position and prevent the vertical separation of the gear 13 from gear 13 incident to the transmission of power through these gears. simply necessaryto swing the lever 23 laterally until it clears the undercut portion 21 when the cover may be raised as desired. At

the rear end of the lever 23 beyond its pivot there is a small spring 25. interposed between the lever and a lugon the casting 14, suitable sockets being provided in both members for holding the spring. This spring acts onthe latch lever 23 to yieldingly urge or retain it in looking position. The cam or rounded-off portion 22 of the lug 21 is provided so that in lowering the cover the outer end of the latch lever will ride off of the lug 21 and then snap into engagement with the undercut portion 21. This relieves the operator from the necessity of manipulating the latch 23 when the cover is closed. In

order to take up any lost motion in a vertical direction between the latch lever 23 p on the casting 14 afterthe lever has moved and the undercut portion or hook 21 1 prov1de it with-a vertical disposed thumb screw 26 which is adapted to bear against a h1g2? into its locking position, thus the operator after the latch lever'is in looking positimr'--- may set the'parts up. tight by giving the thumb screw a turn or two and thus prevent any rattling or separation of' the gears 13 and-13". The cover'may also be provided with the usual lock or latch 28 which maybe of any suitable type and needs no'particular description. I

. The locking structure just described will effectlvely take care of the vertical. thrust tending to'separate or displace the gears 13 To release'or unlock the cover it is the washing machine.

and 13 but it wil be understood that in apower transmitting structure of this char-.

acter there is considerable strain on the parts and it is necessa to overcome this condition not, only whlle the gears are in mesh butwhile they are being connected or disconnected when the cover is lowered or raised. For these reasons I provide a notch or slot 20 in the member 20 whichv is adapted to be engaged by a lug or projection 2O carried by the casting member 14. This lug 1s formed integrally with the .casting 14 and projects beyond the end thereof and" in this construction it rises high enough to form a bearing for the shaft 13. The vertical walls of this notch or slot serve as a guide for the lug 20 and operates to properly ahne the gears 13 and 13 when .the cover is raised or lowered. This notch is deep enough to guide or maintain the lug 20 in its proper position for a portion of its movement after the gears unmesh and vice versa the lug enters the notch just before the gears mesh. Any side thrust, when the gears connect or disconnect, will not effect the gears. At one side of the lug 20 is another smaller lug 20 (Fig. 9) one face 20 of which is beveled off and I adapted to engage a correspondingly beveled face of-slot 20*. This forms an interlock between the two castings 4 and 14 and effectively prevents the displacement of the casting 4 from- 14-in an outward direction.

I provide the structure with a. wringer D whic is arranged so that it may be driven from the same driving mechanism as the washin machine. This wringer D I mountprefera l at one corner of the tub in such manner tliat it may be shifted to different angular positions with respect to the tub, as

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This enables the operator to place the wringer in convenient position so that the clothes may be passed to the wringer from the washing machine tub or from the rinsing to the b1uing tubs which are usually placed adjacent The shaft 9, upon which the gear wheel 8 is mounted, is connected to another shaft 30 by means of the "universaljoint E. This universal joint may be of any suitable type but in-the structure shown in the-drawings (Fig. 7) it consists of a socket member 32 which is rectangular in section and which is fastened to the end of theshaft 9. Fitting in thiss'ocket is a memberv2 3=xwhich is fastened to the end of the shaft 30' and which isvsquare or substantially so to conform with the interior of the socket,

member 32. The edges 34 of said member 33 are rounded off, however, so that it will have a universally angular movement with respect to the shaft 9 and at the same time be maintained in a driven relation to the shaft '9. The shaft 30 extends angularly beneath the tub to the opposite corner thereof, this end of the shaft being provided with a bearvertical shaft 36 through a pair of beveled gears 37 and 38 connected to the shafts 30 and 36 respectively, another universal joint E similar to E being provided to allow for inaccuracies in manufacture and assembling of parts. This vertical shaft 36 extends up wardly vertically and both it and the shaft 30 is journaled in a bracket F secured to one of the legs B. This leg B extends upwa'rdly to the top of the tub and carries a hollow tongue member 40 which extends above the top of the tub. This hollow tongue member is preferably square in section, as shown in Fig. 4. On its upper end the shaft 36 carries a socket member 41 which is fastened on said shaft 36 to rotate therewith. The up er end of the shaft 36 is not confined to a defihite position but is free to float, so to speak, within the hollow member 40. This hollow tongue member being somewhat larger than the shaft and its socket member so as to permit of this movement. This free movement of the shaft is provided to prevent the binding of the parts when the wringer is detached from. the structure as will later appear. The wringer D may be of any suitable type for this purpose. In this structure I have shown a wringer of the ordinary type having a wooden frame, the structure being preferably so arranged that an ordinary or standard wringer may be employed. This wringer is bolted or otherwise securely fastened at 42 to a wringer support in the form of a casting F, the upper portion of which is formed as a yoke, the yoke members being-bridged by an integral portion F. This casting F has a socket 550 formed in its lower end portion whose cross section is shaped correspondingly to the hollow tongue 40, and this arrangement provides a separable connection between the washing machine frame and the wringer and supports the wringer in the various positions in which it is desired to place it. The wringer may thus be shifted to its several positions by simply lifting the wringer support F clear of the hollow tongue 40 and-bodily turning the wringer until it occupies the proper angular position with respect to the machine and the support may then again be slipped over the hollow tongue 40. Fig. 2 shows in dotted lines a wringer positioned to right angles to its normal position shown in full lines. Since the tongue 40 and socket 50 are rectangular in sectionit serves to lock the wringer against any horizontal swinging movement and will hold the wringer definitely and firmly in its shifted or adjusted position. Of course a number of positions to which the wringer may be shifted may be determined by making the tongue and socket of any suitable polygonal shape. A particular advantage 0 this arrangement and which constitutes an object of my invention is that for packing and shipping purposes. The

.wringer may be bodily detached from its support and placed in the tub, thus reducing to a reat extent the bulk and over all dimensions of the structure and enable port, will, as later appears, place it in operative connection with its driving mechanism and ready for use. I prefer that the wringer support F be provided with a set screw 51 and a hand wheel for operating said set screw to fasten the support F in any of its adjusted positions, this being clearly shown in Fig. 3. The wringer shaft'is connected by a suitable coupling 43 to a short shaft 44 which has bearings in the yoke members of the casting F. This shaft has two beveled gears 45 and 46 loosely mounted to rotate thereon. Each of these beveled gears have clutch teeth 47 and between the gears is a clutch member 48 which is keyed on the shaft 44 to rotate therewith but slides horizontally thereon. This clutch member 48 has teeth at both ends and is shiftable into engagement with the teeth of either of said gears to connect either of the gears to the shaft so that they will drive the shaft. The clutch member is also arranged so that it may occupy a neutral position between the two gears so that neither of them will be connected to the shaft. A suitable clutch shifting yoke member 49 (see Figs. 1 and 3) is pivoted at 55 so that it may be swung in either direction to engage the clutch member 48 with either one of the gears. This clutch shifting member has a handle 56 which carries a spr in pressed pin 57 adapted to engage the sma l notches or depressions 59 in the bridge portion F These notches correspond to the vertical positions to which the clutch may be shifted and operate in conjunction with the pin to hold the clutch in its shifted position. The two gears 45 and 46 mesh with and are driven by a common gear 60 which the two shafts 61 and 36, so that the act of bodily removing the wringer and replacing 'it in the same or adjusted position operates to uncouple or couple the shafts 61 and 36. The lower end of the shaft 61 is tapered or pointed so that although the shaft- 36 and the sleeve 41 have some lateral play within the hollow tongue 40, it will center the shaft 36 and insure the making of the coupling.

- Thus the operator in shifting the wringer need not pa any particular attention to the coupling an uncoupling of the shafts 61 and 36. The rotation of the shaft 36 in a constant direction-will operate through the medium of the gear 60 to drive the ears 45 and 46 in opposlte directions and t e operator may by shifting the clutch member 48 cause the wringer shaft to be driven in either direction of rotation as desired.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination of a support, a movable member on said support, driven mechanism mounted on said member and movable therewith to different positions, driving mechanism for actuating the driven mechanism adapted to be brought into operative connection therewith in the act of moving Said member, to one of its positions, and means for relatively positioning the driving mechanism and driven mechanism for proper connection just prior to the actual connection thereof.

2. The combination of a support, a mov-' able member on said support, driven mechanism mounted on said member and movable .said driven gear, one of said members being provided with a notch having inclined walls, and a projection on the other of said mem bers adapted to engage with said notch when said cover is closed to thereby guide said driven gear into proper engagement with said driving gear.

4. In a washing machine, a driving gearand a driven gear, a tub, a movable cover for the tub, a member mounted on said tub and carrying said dr1v1ng gear, a second member mounted on said cover and carrying said driven gear, one of said members being. provlded with a notch having inclined walls,

a projection on the other of said members adapted to engage with said notch when said cover is closed to thereby guide said driven gear into proper engagement with said driving gear, and aspring lock for antomatically locking said cover against movement. I

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 27th'day of November, 1915.

vKARL K. SCHULZ.

Witnesses AMY JEHLE,

E. H. Grace. 

